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Dolly goes East

Published on Fri 5 October, 2012

On a wet Tuesday morning last week I started my internship with Northern Ballet’s Communications team. After a very warm welcome the team sent me to Manchester to see the latest production of Madame Butterfly.

The thought of this as my first production with the Company made me smile as I participated in the Madame Butterfly workshop 10 years ago when I was a leotard clad ballet student. (A colleague has even threatened to find the workshop photo…)

Before going I was unsure of what to expect, having recently seen the Opera version of Madame Butterfly, something that struck me was that the story is set in the East but sung in Italian, this seemed odd to me but with David Nixon’s Madame Butterfly the story is beautifully told through dance, a universal language. You are completely sucked into the world of fans and tea ceremonies.

For me the show was moving and dramatic. I loved the use of the sliding screens in the set of the house, which added an element of comedy. This playfulness juxtaposes with the breathtaking and powerful final scene where Butterfly is left with no choice.

Tobias Batley played the charismatic Pinkerton opposite Pippa Moore as Butterfly. In all a visually pleasing and fast paced tale of tragedy and love that will captivate you entirely. A great production to introduce me to the Company and the dancers.